Drug Couriers May Escape Singapore Gallows

SINGAPORE—Two convicted drug traffickers on death row in Singapore, including a Malaysian citizen, may escape the gallows after prosecutors ruled Wednesday that they had provided substantive assistance to police in fighting narcotics-related crime.

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The decision means the men may become the first drug couriers in Singapore to have their death sentences retroactively commuted, after the Southeast Asian nation relaxed sentencing guidelines for lower-level drug trafficking in January.

In a statement, the Attorney-General’s Chambers said it would certify in court that Yong Vui Kong – a 24-year-old Malaysian – and Subashkaran Pragasam – a 29-year-old Singaporean – had “substantively assisted the Central Narcotics Bureau in disrupting drug trafficking activities within and outside Singapore.”

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